Hybrid tea rose plant named Wekfrag

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Hybrid Tea rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of light red/deep pink coloration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea Rose.The varietal denomination of the new variety is 1 Wekfrag.` The plant isbushy and upright growing and may be cultivated for outdoor gardendecoration. It was bred in Harbor City, Calif., and has an unknown seedparent and as its pollen parent the variety known as `Dolly Parton`(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,608).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety cv. `Wekfrag` may be distinguished from other presentlyavailable and known commercial rose cultivars by the followingcombination of characteristics: abundant production of heavily fragrantblended light red/deep pink flowers and moderately narrow leaflets heldon a long rachis. Cv. `Wekfrag` may be propagated by cuttings, budding,grafting and tissue culture.

Asexual propagation of the new variety as performed by budding in KernCounty and Upland, Calif., shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding propagations.

Comparison with Parent Varieties

The seed parent is unknown.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, `DollyParton`, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas thenew seedling bears flowers of a light red/deep pink coloration, thepollen parent bears flowers of a dark orange coloration; `Dolly Parton`has a plant with only moderate vigor and branching, whereas `Wekfrag`has a plant with significantly stronger vigor that produces more flowersand fuller branching.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the plant in color and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. Throughout this specification, names are values based uponthe Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England,except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following descriptive matter pertains to roses of the new cultivargrown outdoors on September 1993, in Upland, Calif. Phenotype expressionmay vary with environmental, cultivar and climatic conditions as well asdifferences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The new variety bears its flowers usually singly, sometimes two to threeor more per stem. Flowers are borne in irregular rounded clusters onnormal strength medium to long stems for the class. Outdoors the plantblooms abundantly and nearly continuously during the growing season. Theflowers have a strong fruity to spicy fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of average to long length for the class, of averagecaliper, and usually erect and stiff but sometimes bending as the flowermatures. It is moderately smooth with few stipitate glands and very fewsmall prickles. Peduncle color is between 144A and 138B sometimeslightly washed with near 183C.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is of medium to large size for theclass, medium to long in length, and pointed to ovoid in shape. Thesurface of the bud bears some foliaceous appendages and many stipitateglands usually with slender foliaceous parts extending beyond the tip ofthe bud equal to 1/2 or more of its length. Bud color is between 144Aand 138B.

The inner surface of the sepals is covered with fine wooly tomentum;sepal margins are lined with some stipitate glands.

As the first petal opens, the bud is moderately large for the class,medium to long in length, and very pointed to ovoid in form. The colorof the outside and inside surfaces of the newly opened petals is between46B and 47 A with a medium sized basal attachment zone of near 5B. Itdoes open up well but can be moderately retarded from opening by wetcold weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is moderately large for the class, rangingfrom 10 to 12 cms. in diameter. Petalage is moderately double with 36 to41 petals and 1 to 4 petaloids arranged regularly. When partially open,the bloom form is full to high centered and the patals are moderatelyspiraled with petal edges somewhat reflexed outward. When fully open,the bloom form is moderately full to globular, and the petals aresomewhat cupped to undulated with petal edges moderately reflexedoutward.

PETALS

The petals are of somewhat heavy substance and of medium thickness, withinside surfaces slightly velvety and outside surfaces slightly shiny tosatiny. The outer petals are nearly round in shape with rounded apices.The inside petals are somewhat round to broadly obovate in shape withapices mostly rounded sometimes slightly notched with one to twonotches.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The outside surface of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 53C and 51A. The outside and inside surface of the outer,intermediate and inner petals has a medium sized basal attachment zoneof near 5C.

The inside surface of the outer petals is between 47D and 51B with amoderately large area toward the petal edge blushed with between 53B and51A. The inside surface of the intermediate petals is between 47D and51B with a smaller area toward the petal edge blushed with between 53Band 51A. The inside surface of the inner petals is between 47D and 51Bwith no blushing.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between 47D and 51Bwith the outermost petals blushed to between 53B and 51A.

THREE DAY OLD FLOWER

The outside surface of the outer and inner petals is between 58C and54B. The outside and inside surface of the outer and inner petals has amedium sized basal attachment zone of near 2D.

The inside surface of the outer petals is between 54B and 55A with someblushing toward the edge of the petal with between 53C and 54A. Theinside surface of the inner petals is between 54B and 55A with a smallerarea at the petal edge of a similarly colored blush.

The general tonality of the three day old flower is between 54B and 55 Awith some blushing on the outermost petals of between 53C and 54A.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly.

In September, blooms on the bush growing in the garden generally lastfrom three to four days. Cut roses grown outdoors and kept at normalindoor living temperatures generally last from three to four or moredays.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are many in number and are arranged regularly about the pistil.The filaments are of moderately uneven length ranging from medium tolong, most with anthers. The anthers are medium for the class and allopen approximately at the same times. Another color is near 4B whenimmature and near 162C at maturity. Pollen is somewhat sparse and near4D in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils are average to many in number (approximately 110). The stylesare somewhat uneven, average to long in length, somewhat thin to averagein caliper, and very loosely bunched. Stigma color is near 2D. Stylecolor is near 48D. Ovaries are usually most enclosed in the calyx,although some may protrude from the calyx. Hips have not been observedon this variety when grown in Upland, Calif.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five and sometimesseven leaflets and are borne in normal quantities. The leaves are mediumsized for the class, moderately heavy in texture, and matte in finish.The leaflets are shaped somewhat narrowly oval to ovate with moderatelyacute apices and somewhat rounded bases. Their margins are irregular todoubly serrate. By "irregular" is meant that the leaf margin varies fromdentate to serrate on the same leaf.

The upper surface of the mature leaf is between 139A and 147A. The undersurface of the mature leaf is between 138B and 191C. The upper surfaceof the young leaf is between 146A and 137A, somewhat heavily suffusedwith near 183B. The under surface of the young leaf is of similarcoloration but very heavily suffused with near 183B.

The rachis is moderately long, somwehat light to average in caliper andmoderately smooth with some stipitate glands on the edges of the upperside. The under side of the rachis is moderately rough with manystipitate glands and 3 to 4 small prickles.

The stipules are very long in length with moderately narrow somewhatshort points that usually turn out at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

The plant displays an average degree of resistance to blackspot and rustas compared to other commercial varieties grown under comparableconditions in Upland, Calif.

GROWTH

The plant has a bushy upright medium height habit with moderately fullbranching. It displays very vigorous growth and the canes are of mediumcaliper for the class.

The color of the major stems are between 146B and 152B. They bear few toseveral large prickles which are of medium length for the class. Thelarge prickles are almost straight angled moderately downward with avery long narrow base; prickle color is between 166A and 177A.

The color of the branches are between 146B and 144A. They bear severallarge prickles which are of medium length for the class. The largeprickles are almost straight angled moderately downward with a very longnarrow base; prickle color is near 165C. The branches bear few smallprickles of similar shape and coloration.

The color of the new shoots are between 146C and 144B often heavilysuffused with near 183C. They bear several large prickles which are ofmedium length for the class. The large prickles are almost straightangled moderately downward with a very long narrow base; prickle coloris near 184C. The shoots also bear few small prickles of similar shapeand coloration.

As indicated previously, the stems are medium to long, 30 to 40 cm; thepeduncle is average to long, 7 to 11 cm. The green bud is consideredmedium to large, with a diameter at the widest point of 3 to 4 cm andmedium to long in length, 4 to 5 cm. A just-opening bud is moderatelylarge, 3.5 to 4.5 cm at the widest point and medium to long in length,about 5 cm. The bloom is moderately large, 10 to 12 cm in diameter.Leaflets of the leaves are 3 to 7 cm long (the terminal leaflet beingthe longest) and 1.5 to 4.5 cm in width at the widest point. The leavesare medium-sized (10 to 14 cm long and 8 to 12 cm wide at the widestpoint). The plant has a medium growth habit reaching 95 to 120 cm inheight and 75 to 95 cm in width.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose plantsubstantially as described and illustrated herein.